Ch. Giscours with our friend Alexander Van Beek
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2020 9:28 pm
Alexander Van Beek, who hosted us at our memorable Du Tertre lunch on 5/18/15, arrived at Ch Giscours in 1995, aged 24. So it was appropriate that we started this zoom tasting with the 1995 vintage first and moved through the younger vintages. In a nutshell what he is trying to do is to take the estate back to the glory days of the 1970s, when arguably Giscours was the best wine in the Margaux appellation. From the late 70s more Merlot was planted to make wines more accessible and soften the hard Cabernet tannins in cool vintages. With global warming they have been able to reverse that trend and the Cabernet share has been rising successively.
1995 - Merlot dominated with 60% in the blend with the rest CS. Garnet with initial vegetal saline notes, this shy austere old style wine emerged from its shell, medium bodied with a pleasing verve and freshness. I would drink this with pleasure with a roast...circa 89. (all scores here +/- 1)
2000 - they managed to get the CS up to 55%, with the Merlot share declining to 40%, topped up with 5% Cab Franc. A sunny, warm vintage contrives to make a beautiful classically proportioned wine, which still has quite a strict persona. White pepper, talcum and loamy notes with shy Margaux berries lingering in the background. 91
2005 - 62% CS, 38% Merlot, bigger framed, riper, more overt blueberry notes. Still very young with big puckering tannins, it needs five years, but should evolve into an excellent wine. 91
2010 - 71/29; cool minty nose, closed initially on the palate, AVB suggested decanting 24 hours in advance. Multi-layered, very classy, ‘virile’ (AVB), needs food and time. It continues to open and impress over the evening. 92
2015 - 70/25/5 - the latter petit Verdot, this wine has an extraordinarily seductive nose, taking you into a voluptuous wine with ‘creamy tannins’ (AVB), with exuberant red fruits and flowers. Beautiful wine, which is approachable now. 93
2016 - 81/19 - now we are back to a wine which will replicate the very great wines made here in 1970, 1975 and 1978. More structured and classical than the 2015, higher acidity and less seductive this wins by a nose. 94
Giscours is a big masculine structured style which sits slightly uncomfortably in the Margaux appellation. Tonight’s tasting confirms why I am more drawn to the wines of D’Issan and Brane Cantenac, but I am pleased to own cases of 2006 and 2009 Giscours as well as odd bottles from the 1970s. As we all know, Du Tertre is very different more feminine and approachable than its bigger masculine stable mate, and uses the non CS grape varieties more abundantly.
1995 - Merlot dominated with 60% in the blend with the rest CS. Garnet with initial vegetal saline notes, this shy austere old style wine emerged from its shell, medium bodied with a pleasing verve and freshness. I would drink this with pleasure with a roast...circa 89. (all scores here +/- 1)
2000 - they managed to get the CS up to 55%, with the Merlot share declining to 40%, topped up with 5% Cab Franc. A sunny, warm vintage contrives to make a beautiful classically proportioned wine, which still has quite a strict persona. White pepper, talcum and loamy notes with shy Margaux berries lingering in the background. 91
2005 - 62% CS, 38% Merlot, bigger framed, riper, more overt blueberry notes. Still very young with big puckering tannins, it needs five years, but should evolve into an excellent wine. 91
2010 - 71/29; cool minty nose, closed initially on the palate, AVB suggested decanting 24 hours in advance. Multi-layered, very classy, ‘virile’ (AVB), needs food and time. It continues to open and impress over the evening. 92
2015 - 70/25/5 - the latter petit Verdot, this wine has an extraordinarily seductive nose, taking you into a voluptuous wine with ‘creamy tannins’ (AVB), with exuberant red fruits and flowers. Beautiful wine, which is approachable now. 93
2016 - 81/19 - now we are back to a wine which will replicate the very great wines made here in 1970, 1975 and 1978. More structured and classical than the 2015, higher acidity and less seductive this wins by a nose. 94
Giscours is a big masculine structured style which sits slightly uncomfortably in the Margaux appellation. Tonight’s tasting confirms why I am more drawn to the wines of D’Issan and Brane Cantenac, but I am pleased to own cases of 2006 and 2009 Giscours as well as odd bottles from the 1970s. As we all know, Du Tertre is very different more feminine and approachable than its bigger masculine stable mate, and uses the non CS grape varieties more abundantly.